Road trips are a bucket list for many people. It's an adventure that whether it's long or short in the US, Europe, or wherever the memories will stay with you forever. If you are thinking about taking a road trip let me be the first to tell you that there is no such thing as a perfect road trip. There are many hacks & ticks out there for "ideal" trips out there but the reality is that part of the road trip fun is things going different than what you expect. 

I have been on several road trips in my life time some short that take yearly, some long from Texas  to California but this summer I went on the longest one ever a family road trip from Texas to Florida. I've had a few adventures & I would love to share with you little essentials that don't make the perfect trip but more on how to embrace & enjoy the happy trip.


Expect The Unexpected

I believe this is the first thing into making the ride all worth the while. When you are on the road to a destination you've never been to, you can create an image of what you think it would be like. I had dreamed about travelling to Florida by road for the longest time & I had build this image in my head of what I believed the southern states would be like. When travelling I did not expect many thing to be different but I loved that it was better  than what I thought. Texas is a long state took us about 10 hours just to get across, I already knew this as I had done that before but I expected that travelling through Louisiana, Mississippi & Alabama would be just as long, it wasn't. It is also a lot more green than what I thought, I live in the dessert I am not use to green but from San Antonio all the way to Florida it just got greener & the trees bigger, it was quite beautiful. The rain was something we are not use to at all, driving in tropical storms with bodies of water such as rivers & lakes close to the side of the road can be quite terrifying. Having car anxiety didn't help much but we all prayed & had a new experience & a story to tell, plus it made some breathtaking rainbows after the storm.

Good Snacks

I love food. Being on the road for long periods can limit the amount of food you can eat & well for my family it is essential to maintain a happy atmosphere. We usually would stop to grab breakfast, then stop at the gas station to grab some snacks for the way. Water is a definite must, yes try not drinking it all at once but hydration is important & can freshen you up every now & then. I will confess my favorite snack of all time is probably potato chips, I now they are not the best thing for your health but it is a course that has been passed through generations & I cant get rid of. Being in the southern states I was introduced to a new Lay's flavored chips that I fell in love with that I can't seem to find back home called, Barbecue Southern Heat. I find snack to be able to help with hunger but also make the trip shorter & in a strange way more pleasant.

Be Ready For Argumments

Road Trips can be quite long, we took three days just to get to Florida, but even if its a couple of hours being in the car with the same people & having no other human interaction can be quite a lot to handle. I was in the car, with my parents, sister, brother, & cousin, there is no denying that I love than all dearly & I love spending time with them but I will confess after a couple of hours it is quite frustrating. Obviously there is a sense of trust if you are taking a road trip with someone, the more you trust people the more you show your different colors to your personality. It is normal that you get annoyed, or argue about directions, or whether you should stop, or get bored try to push some buttons. If you know the people you are travelling with well enough it is bound to happen but the important thing is to be able to move on & not take anything personal because you will soon laugh about it & add to the adventure.

Find Good Entertainment

Long hours on the road can really test many things about oneself. The views on the road are beautiful but after a few hours it can get quite boring & if you don't occupy yourself you can go a little crazy. You have too keep things into account for us internet children, more than likely there wont be acssess to internet sometimes even phone connection so entratainment has to be found by other means. My siblings & cousin use some of the time to draw & color I read must of the time. I think it is actually one of my favorite places to read, I finished Hamilton; The Revolution by Jeremey McCarter & Lin Manuel Miranda a book I've been wanting to ready for a really long time. I also wrote, I took my journal size notebook, wrote about thoughts, blog ideas, many blog posts, things I wanted to do while in Florida. I was able to use this time & focus my energy on getting things done while still having a blast chatting & laughing with my family I believe this was the best entratainment I had as we kept the mind active by bonding with each other. I figure there are many things one can do but whatever it is you have to enjoy it with the people in the car to make happy memories of on the road.

Enjoy The Stops

The road can take you to & through the most strange, fun, beautiful places you have ever encountered. As much as getting to your destination is important making s couple of stops can be quite adventurous. We made some stops on the along the way but two of the most important were New Orleans & Pensacola. I have for long desired to visit New Orleans, I have heard great things about the delicious cuisine & history too that I was happy hat it was on the way. We visited the French Quarters which in it's architecture was beautiful but the environment was exactly what I picture, I you have seen Princess & The Frog. it was exactly like that. The music was amazing, jazz all around but the people were a bit intimating, with gypsies & fortune tellers, we weren't as comfortable & we didn't take long there. But we didn't leave without getting a taste of the city by buying one of the most delicious things ever, beignets. Pensacola which is the border of Alabama & Florida, was a beautiful stop, my family & I agree that it is one of the best beaches in the country, the water is so clear & blue, the sand so white it is very clean & it has such a peaceful thing about it we want to make it part of the trip next time & not just a stop. Overall even the little gas station stops are great & you never know what you can take from it whether it's just a stretch or bathroom break it is all part of the road trip magic.



The journey is half the fun enjoy everything about it whatever you encounter the good the bad & everything in between make it all part of the adventure. In the end you & the people with you are what will make the trip fun & happy. The excitement to the destination helps but every little thing makes the trip even more magical, we make it happy.

Make the most of it wit the people you are about & you have all the essentials to a happy road trip.





Have you ever been on a road trip, where to? What are some of your best memories? Do you think of ever taking one?